Rabbi's Message - Parshat Yitro
02/19/2010 08:41:58 AM
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I would like to share an inspiring word of Torah with you from this
week's Torah portion. Hopefully it will connect the time and tradition
of our Torah to today's challenging events in our daily lives. I will
try to connect with you on a weekly basis. If you do not want to
receive this in an e mail form you can always find it on our Shul
website at www.bjsd.org.
Wishing you and your family a Shabbat Shalom
Avram Bogopulsky, Rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation.
PARSHAS YISRO
The image of Moshe Rabbeinu coming down Har Sinai with the luchos is
forever embedded in our minds from our youth. Two tablets side by side
each containing five of the dibros (statements). The right side
representing mitzvos bein Adom La'Chaveiro (commandments between man
and God) and the left side mitzvos bein Adom LaChaveiro (commandments
between man and his fellow man).
One would think that the relationship between man and Hashem is more
important or weighs heavier than the existence between man and his
friend. But to the contrary, we see from the words of the Rambam in
Hilchos Teshuva that we cannot approach Hashem for forgiveness unless
we have settled all outstanding matters between ourselves. Chazal are
replete with the importance of our middos between each other, Hashem
ca tolerate us being disobedient but cannot stand for the injustices
perpetrated against mankind.
It is for this reason that in this week's parsha, prior to the giving
of the Torah the Jewish people responded to Hashem's offer of the
Torah with the words Naaseh V'Nishma. In Shmos 19:8 the verse states
"Vayaanu kal ha'Am yachdav VaYomru kol asher diber Hashem Naaseh And
all the people answered together and said, "All that God has spoken we
will do" The Chidushei Harim remarks that each individual Jew should
have responded e'eseh -"I will do" instead of Na'aseh. The Gerrer
Rebbe says that when the Jews heard about the Torah and realized its
beauty and importance, each individual took upon himself not only to
observe it, but also to be responsible for all other Jews doing so.
Each one responded in the plural "Na'Aseh" meaning "I will do, and
also see to it that other Jews will do.
As it says in the Gemara Shavuos 39a Kal Yisroel Areivin Ze Lazeh
"Each Jew is a guarantor for his fellow".
A second interpretation of why it says Na'Aseh is given by Reb Meir
Simcha of Dvinsk in his classic commentary the Meshech Chochma. He
says that no one Jew can fulfill ALL of the mitzvos of the Torah by
themselves. Since there are certain mitzvos that are designated for
Kohanim, others for Leviim, the King, the Kohen Gadol, to those who
owned fields or a house. Each and every Jew has to fulfill his/her
Mitzva and that's what makes us a complete nation. Furthermore,
learning about that mitzva can fulfill any mitzva that we cannot do
today. Therefore, when everyone responded together that we would do
whatever Hashem says, that's what binds us all as a nation. Only when
the Jewish people do things collectively, and compliment each other by
filling in for each other can we respond together. Otherwise we are
just individuals without the force of a wholesome people.
We are living through difficult and turbulent times. From earthquakes
and natural disasters to young Jewish boys being incarcerated in a
Japanese prison. A young Jewish boy being harassed by the authorities
(after landing) over his wearing Tefillin on a recent plane ride, to
economic hardships all around us we need to focus on our Middos
amongst ourselves.
Hopefully the message of the two Luchos side by side will remind us of
our ultimate responsibilities and bring a salvation to Klal Yisroel
and the world we live in.
Sat, July 12 2025
16 Tammuz 5785
General Davening Schedule
Week of 7/13 and beyond:
Shacharis:
Sunday: 8:00am
Monday-Friday: 7:15am
Daily Mincha/Maariv -per Shkiah (~20 minutes before Sunset):
Monday-Thursday: 7:45pm
Friday: 6:45pm
Shabbos:
Shacharis: 8:45am
Mincha: 7:25pm
Maariv: 8:38pm
*Please view The Weekly link above for Afternoon times and/or special davening times.
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As of 9 AM PDT, July 3rd, 2025
"Eruv is Up and Operational"
Please check the website weekly for updates.
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